It's a Cake for God's Sake
Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater, Sonic, The Flash, or any other references I make or will make in this short story series.
"Stupid fucking idiot! Fuck!" Soul screamed, and it echoed throughout the little appartmemt. He couldn't understand it. Of all the things he couldn't do, why did it have to be this? It was Maka's birthday and of course there just had to be a problem. Soul can't bake. Not cookies, not brownines, not cakes, and not pies. Ask him to prepare some kind of extravagant-expensive-rare-ingredient-foreign-meal and he's got it in the bag. But a single cupcake? It could take him down in the blink of an eye.
Not that he couldn't grab a box from a store and follow directions of course, but he absolutely despised boxed cake. Maka had made him one for the first birthday they'd been together. He'd tried not to be rude, he really did, but it was pretty obvious that he found it absolutely disgusting.
Now, fuming in the small apartment's kitchen, he was trying to bake a cake for Maka. This was the third one to turn out wrong.
The problems were a range of things. From too many eggs to not enough flour, and getting baking powder and baking soda confused (Come on, who really knows the difference right?) he was at his wits end, and Maka would be home soon. Marie could only stall her so long. The optimistic coffee house boss was great at stalling when she didn't mean to, but on purpose she'd probably accidentally be begging someone to go.
Every time he thought he heard the sound of keys he panicked. Maka could NOT see him like this. Screw the surprise, she'd never let him forget how he looked covered in egg- yolk and flour. Knowing her, she'd probably take a picture too. Then his phone vibrabed. "Fuckkk"he groaned looking down at it and glaring, refusing to touch his phone with batter hands. He did a few little taps with his fingernails to try and put in the password, but 40% of the time he pushed the wrong letter, and 50% of the time it didn't even work. Five minutes later he finally got the password in. It was from Maka:
"Finally got away from Marie, be home in 15."
"Fifteen?!" he screeched looking at the clock. He needed five more minutes for the cake in the oven to be done, at least five minutes for icing if not more, and who knows how long to clean up and change. All that and five minutes had already passed. He was fucked. With every ounce of speed he had he managed to get cleaned up in three minutes, with skill he'd probably gotten from Sonic the Hedgehog and The Flash. Now with only seven minutes left, he impatiently waited for the cake to be done. Tapping his foot and watching the oven timer, he was ready when it finally made the satisfying "beep" sound.
The icing had to be done in the remaining two minutes. It was whipped chocolate and it made him gag. He'd never really liked chocolate any way, and he despised whipped cream. He had to do this fast and do it without throwing up. Glorious. He began to ice the cake, holding his nose and only breathing through his mouth. Finally the cake was iced. It wasn't the prettiest in the world, but it was finished. He sat at the table, watching the door. The seconds went by slowly, and felt like hours. He tapped his fingers on the table, faster and faster as the time ticked by. Finally, after what seemed like years, he heard the key in the lock and watched the door knob turn.
"Soulll I'm homm-oh! Soul. I didn't know you'd be out here. What's that on the table?"
he began to sputter "I made cake. For you. It might not be that good, its probably bad, I messed up so many times, I'm sorry if it tastes bad I-"
Maka laughed "Soul stop stop! Silly! The fact that you made me a cake, with icing you absolutely hate even is so so sweet, although I do want to know..why did you make me a cake?"
Soul gave her an astonished look "Um..its your birthday Maka. A birthday cake"
She laughed even harder "No Soul! My birthday is this day, next month!" tears began to run from her eyes "Oh Soul!"
Soul stared over at the cake on the counter, all the work he put into it, every grain of sugar, the batter that had ruined his clothes. He looked up at Maka "Give me a piece of this stupid fucking cake."
Maka giggled some more "Okay Soul, okay. By the way.." she took a bite "It tastes just like the kind from a box."